So new year, new map. It’s been amazing to see the support and interest in what has been to date to create a London cycle network map. I’m very thankful for it and just makes it easier to keep pushing on with it. As a result, for 2017 we decided to take some time out to evolve the map, hopefully for the better.

We have looked to make some tweaks to the map. Overall it offers the same overall London view of cycle routes, but it in addition it now looks to:

simplify the routes shown to being either fully signposted or those with few turns to make, so as to make it all easier to follow

display as a single sheet making it easier to view, print, and read

display with the geographic central routings removed thereby improving the user experience when maps are zoomed. (we hope to provide more detailed, more zoomed, and more localised maps in the near future)

make the map simpler to view, with journey time contours removed and link routes straightened. These changes make the map both easier on the eye and easier to read and understand

The hope is that going forward, with high quality wayfinding on the key routes shown on the map, that you can get around on a bike in London with minimal GIS assistance. Whether this will happen in reality only time will tell, and any feedback on this would be much appreciated.

I hope this goes as well as the previous versions. Thanks again for all the interest and support.

Updated and more detailed south London cycle map. Key is to identify the areas where people will want to cycle to and what are the most direct routes. The map identifies some key protected routes but is mainly aimed at identifying the most direct cycle routes from A to B. Please have a look for yourself here:

I have taken some inspiration from some metro maps I have seen recently. The overall idea is to create a simple legend that covers all possible combinations of colour (the extent the route has been officially marked as either a strategic or local corridor) and width (the extent of protection afforded to cyclists). I very much hope that this makes sense to the user, so any feedback on this would be very welcome.

Gone are the colour variations of the different routes. My feeling is that in the future there is likely to be so many cycle routes coming on line in London it will be impossible to give each their own meaningful colour. In have come markers at the beginning and end of each official corridor. The hope is that overall this will make the map easier to follow for all users.

The map will be updated when further TfL Quietways and London Central Grid routes open during the year. The Quietways shown on the map have been curtailed, as have the Cycle Superhighways that do not afford much protection to cyclists. This is to reflect the belief that they are more likely to act as links between the higher quality Cycle Superhighways, than being significant routes in their own right. 2016 will of course give a better indication as to how this will pan out.

Finally the map has been updated to reflect five main grid areas within London:

Central

South

West

North

East

The aim is to go on from here to create more detailed maps of these areas to give better direction details for each route, as well as showing the most significant places of interest for both those exploring and those living in London. So I guess what this space!